Former first lady Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, dies

WASHINGTON − Former first lady Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, has died, Melania confirmed in a post Tuesday night on X, formerly Twitter. Knavs was 78.

The cause of death was not shared.

"Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity,"Melania Trump wrote. "She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy."

Knavs is the mother-in-law to former President Donald Trump, who called it a "very sad night for the entire Trump family" in a post on Truth Social.

“Melania’s great and beautiful mother, Amalija, has just gone to a beautiful place in the sky. She was an incredible woman, and will be missed far beyond words!" he wrote.

Newsweek reported last week that former President Trump explained his wife's absence during a New Year's Eve speech in Mar-a-Lago by saying the former first lady was with her sick mother in the hospital.

Knavs, along with her husband, Viktor, were sworn in as U.S. citizens in 2018. Melania Trump sponsored the Slovenian couple, a process which Trump had criticized during his time in the White House, calling it "chain migration."

The Knavses spent time in Washington, D.C., after Melania Trump moved into the White House with her 12-year-old son Barron, who is close to his grandparents and speaks fluent Slovenian. Both had been spotted boarding Air Force One to travel with the first family to Mar-a-Lago or to Bedminster, New Jersey, when Donald Trump was president.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former first lady Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, dies